2008 Porsche 911 GT2

A blistering 'Bahn blast in the greatest roadgoing 911 in history.

As with the Turbo, Porsche Stability Management (PSM) and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) come along for the ride—no pun intended. The GT2, however, features raised thresholds for each of these electronic housekeepers, and the Turbo's massive, optional 15.0-inch-front and 13.4-inch-rear Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes are standard, providing superior stopping power while shaving nine pounds of unsprung mass apiece.

Indeed, saving weight was as important as adding power. Thus, rear drive once again supplants all-wheel drive, exotic carbon fiber and titanium have been strategically applied, and—as with the GT2's naturally aspirated sibling, the GT3—the worthless-anyway rear seats and vast swaths of insulation are missing. These efforts dispensed with 320 pounds—or nearly a 10th—of the manual-transmission Turbo's 3514-pound heft, resulting in a remarkably low 3200-pound claim.

Purpose-Driven Beauty

In person, we were surprised by just how mean the GT2 looks on the street compared with the rather benign-looking Turbo. The GT2's three front grilles are larger, the center port benefiting from an extractor for the radiator at the leading edge of the hood/trunklid, as on the GT3. Its front tires and 19-inch wheels are shared with the Turbo, but the GT2's super-fat 325mm-wide rear tires are 0.8 inch larger than the Turbo's 305s. The GT2 also dons a miniskirt of plastic aero pieces, and a one-inch-lower ride height virtually eliminates any gap between the wheel and fender—all contributing to a slammed, sinister, 959-like road stance.

In back, the two-story fixed spoiler is set at precisely the right angle for high-speed stability, according to Porsche engineers, and is distinct from the GT3's double-decker by its cool-looking ram air intakes. Interestingly, the black plastic on the trailing edge was initially designed to be easily swapped for more pronounced lips as needed for various racing venues, but after exhaustive wind-tunnel testing in a variety of conditions, Porsche engineers found no real benefit in doing so. Who knew?

Intensified yet Luxurious Interior

Any time your hands grip a thick-rimmed, Alcantara-covered steering wheel, you know you're in a serious machine. More evidence comes in the form of razor-thin carbon-and-glass-fiber, four-point-harness-ready seat shells that reduce weight by a massive 20 pounds each. And yes, they are U.S.-legal, thanks to the fitment of integrated side airbags. However, these Alcantara/leather buckets offer no adjustability other than fore-and-aft and are tight, tight, tight. Wide-bummed customers might opt for the available conventional, full-leather multiadjustable power buckets, but we'd sooner go on Jenny Craig before skipping these sexy chairs.

Alcantara also covers the shifter, the e-brake lever, and the armrests. The nappy stuff is also used for the headliner, but interestingly, that's the only layer of material of any kind between one's head (or helmet) and the steel roof. Reach to the ceiling, and you can knock on metal with your knuckles.

For all the GT2's intensity, however, the level of luxury is surprising. On track days, you'll be whipping the competition in climate-controlled comfort, listening to the optional Bose surround-sound premium stereo, and facing a stitched-leather dash. After your cool-down laps, you can use the optional navigation system to get home.

"Rain, Rain, Go Away"

As mentioned before, Mother Nature decided to water all the plants—and alas, the roads—in Germany on the only day we were driving the GT2. Our first several kilometers were covered follow-the-leader style on wet byways en route to an airfield where we'd be given demo rides with rally legend and longtime Porsche consultant Walter RÃ¶hrl. We were happy to keep speeds down, keenly aware that some 63 percent of the GT2's weight on the rear wheels would be ready to drag us like a stone on a string at the slightest loss of traction. But despite the moisture, the GT2 remained mannerly, going where it was pointed, with its firm pedal and steering efforts requiring not just effort, but deliberate inputs. Had we flown ass-backward out of a tight roundabout, it would have been intentional.

The GT2's six-speed shifter also proved splendidly precise, short in throw but not conceitedly so. However, the stiff clutch effort revealed the GT2's racing roots, and we surmise that one Friday afternoon on the 405 in California could be enough to send weak-legged GT2 owners, perhaps not fully appreciative of this car's purpose, right back to the dealership to trade it for a Turbo automatic. We might suggest a lower-body workout program instead, since the GT2's lack of rear seats and superfluous insulation allow the boxer's characteristic punchy rasp to fill the cabin with inebriating sharpness and clarity.

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